Heading to FestPAC? Here’s what you need to know

Published

7 months ago

June 6, 2024

Heading to FestPAC? Here’s what you need to know

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC) kicks off Thursday with opening ceremonies set for the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

The event begins at 4 p.m. at the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

SPECIAL SECTION: FestPAC

It launches the festivities for the world’s largest celebration of Indigenous Pacific Islanders.

FestPAC brings together artists, cultural practitioners, scholar, officials and the general public from across the Pacific Islands and beyond.

The opening ceremony program includes addresses by:

Hawaii Governor Josh Green, M.D and his wife, First Lady Jaime Kanani Green
Kalani Ka’ana’ana, Chairperson, 13th FestPAC Commission
Marla Fuata, Deputy Director-General of Operations and Integration, The Pacific Community
Aaron J Sala, PhD, Festival Director

There will be a performance by the Royal Hawaiian Band and a formal parade of nations representing all of the 27 nations participating in FestPAC.

Also, there will be an official exchange of gifts between the visiting delegations and host-Hawaii Delegation, as well as musical performances with some of the delegations.

On Wednesday, delegates from the 27 participating nations were welcomed in traditional canoes during the Wa’a Ceremony. The ceremony symbolized the unity of the Pacific nations.

FestPAC is also taking place at various locations on Oahu, including the Hawaii Convention Center which will serve as a major hub of events and Bishop Museum.

Here’s what’s happening on Friday, June 7:

Event	Time, Location, Description
Festival Village Opening	Hawaii Convention Center — 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Festival Village will be comprised of more than 20 hale, one for each participating nation to serve as the primary location for cultural exchange. Cultural practitioners will be demonstrating weaving, traditional cloth, weaponry, fishhooks, adornment, and more. Other key features of the Festival Village include Mauloa, the 29-foot long single-hull coastal sailing canoe, an interactive immersive experience, and a 60-foot Star Compass. Within the Festival Village will be the main FestPAC performance stage, where all 27 nations will perform heritage dance, contemporary music, choral singing, fashion shows, and more, throughout the 10 days.
Sister City Signing	Hawaii Convention Center — 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. The City and County of Honolulu will conduct a Sister City signing with Rarotonga, Cook Islands.
Carving and Tattoo Demonstrations	Bishop Museum — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Carving demonstration will include Hoe Uli (large steering paddle), Kiʻi Kanaloa or god of the ocean (Taʻaroa, Tangaroa, Tangaloa), and Waʻa Kaulua (double hulled canoe). Indigenous tattoo practitioners from various Pacific nations will proudly showcase their heritage art and share techniques.
Pa’u Fashion Showcase	Hawaii Convention Center — 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Doors open at 7 p.m.) On behalf of the 13th FestPAC, Manaola Yap has curated an exclusive Fashion Showcase that celebrates the shared stories, practices, and arts that connect our diverse heritages. The fashion showcase will feature runway shows by Nakeʻu Awai, Lotus and Lime, and MANAOLA, artisan creations by Nalani Kanakaʻole and Taupōuri Tangarō, and a cultural demonstration by Hālau Kekuhi.
Opening Event for PILINA: FestPAC 50th Anniversary Exhibit	Capitol Modern — 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. PILINA is a retrospective multimedia exhibition that commemorates the 50th Anniversary of FestPAC. The exhibition includes a photographic exhibition, ephemera and select cultural heritage objects.

Ongoing Daily Events:

The Festival Village will be open daily at the Hawaii Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Carving and Tattoo demonstrations will be available daily at Bishop Museum from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m
FestPAC 50th Anniversary exhibit will be open daily from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Capitol Modern.
Renowned artists from various nations will showcase traditional dances, music, and contemporary performances, daily, at various stages across Oʻahu. Venues will include Ala Moana Center, Kawaiaha’o Church, Our Kakaʻako, Outrigger Reef Waikīkī Beach Resort (Kani Ka Pila Grille), Pālama Settlement, Polynesian Cultural Center, Royal Hawaiian Center, University of Hawaiʻi – West Oʻahu, Waikiki Beach Walk, and Windward Mall.

Though the events are free, attendees will need to register via eTicket Hawaii.

FestPAC will run on Oahu from June 6 to 16.

For more information on the festival, click here.

Source link

Related Topics:Announce Featured Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture festpac Governor hawaii Press Conference

Click to comment

Hawaii Education Association Summit to focus on tapping high schools to address teacher shortage

Published

5 hours ago

January 4, 2025

Press Room

Hawaii Education Association Summit to focus on tapping high schools to address teacher shortage

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Hawaii Education Association is hosting its annual summit next week in an effort to address the teacher shortage in Hawaii.

The local nonprofit is working to tap high school students to address the state’s ongoing shortage of full-time licensed teachers.

HEA’s “Building the Future of Education in Hawaii: Cultivating Tomorrow’s Teachers and Empowering Today’s Educators” Summit takes place on Jan. 8 at the YWCA Downtown Honolulu from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and will focus on teacher recruitment and retention.

Hawaii ranks in the top 10 states with the lowest teacher-to-state population ratio.

Low pay compared to other professions, high workloads, and a lack of professional development and support have been cited as reasons for a nationwide shortage of teachers.

HEA Program Manager Dr. Lynn Hammonds and Dr. Carla Warren, Senior Partner of the National Center for Grow Your Own, said there aresolutions being used in other states that Hawaii can adopt, including building a pipeline for high school students and apprenticeships for young teachers to cultivate the next generation of educators.

Hammonds said HEA was the first organization for Hawaii teachers — the precursor of HSTA, HGEA, and UHPA — and now focuses on supporting teachers and aspiring teachers.

“Our summit will gather education leaders from across the state, including 11 high school teachers who work directly with students aspiring to become educators. Our event features two expert panels that will share insights and strategies to ensure these future educators receive the necessary guidance, successfully complete college preparation programs, and achieve licensure as teachers in Hawaii,” Hammonds said.

As the summit’s keynote speaker, Warren will share her experience developing West Virginia’s Teacher Leader Framework to assist county school systems and securing Department of Labor funds to develop a teacher pre-apprenticeship program, the first in the country.

Other Hawaii agencies, including the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Department of Education, and the Hawaii Teachers Standard Board, are establishing an apprenticeship program in Hawaii with a federal grant.

“The U.S. Department of Labor has developed a new apprenticeship program that opens the door to new opportunities for individuals to become K-12 teachers. Individuals can complete a bachelor’s degree and obtain teacher licensure at no cost while continuing to work in their jobs as paraprofessionals. This has been a great way to recruit new teachers,” Warren said.

Hammonds said HEA is supporting teachers from eight local high schools in Project Equal Access and piloting Educators Rising, a nationally recognized curriculum for high school students who are aspiring educators. The high schools include Farrington, James Campbell, Kauai, Maui, Mililani, Pearl City, Waiakea, and Waipahu.

For more information on the Hawaii Education Association, visit hawaiieducationassocation.org or call (808) 949-6657.

Source link

Hawaii

These are the six golfers who have won the Hawaii Double (Sentry, Sony) on PGA Tour

Published

17 hours ago

January 4, 2025

Press Room

These are the six golfers who have won the Hawaii Double (Sentry, Sony) on PGA Tour

Three years ago, Hideki Matsuyama hit one of the more memorable shots of the 2022 season when he smoked a 3-wood on the 18th hole in a playoff to win the Sony Open in Hawaii.

After 36 holes at The Sentry in Maui, he’s in contention to become just the seventh golfer to complete the career Hawaii double.

Chris Kirk won the Sentry last year but came up short at Waialae. It’s been since 2022 since someone completed the second leg.

Here’s a closer look at the six golfers who have won both The Sentry and the Sony Open in Hawaii in their PGA Tour careers.

Justin Thomas

Justin Thomas won the two island stops back-to-back in 2017. He later won the Sentry again in 2020.

Cameron Smith

Cameron Smith won the 2022 Sentry Tournament of Champions and the Sony Open in 2020.

Zach Johnson

Zach Johnson won his second-to-last PGA Tour victory at the 2014 Hyundai Tournament of Champions. The 2023 Ryder Cup captain also claimed the Sony Open in 2009.

Vijay Singh

Vijay Singh won the Sony Open in 2005 during a torrid stretch where he won 17 times over a three-year period (2003 to 2005).

In 2007, he opened his year with a win in the Mercedes-Benz Championship at Kapalua.

Ernie Els

Ernie Els swept the Hawaii events in 2003, then a year later he repeated at the Sony.

It was in 2003 in Maui that Els seemed finally due to win after several close calls at Kapalua: T-14 in 1997, T-10 in 1998, solo second in 2000 (after an epic duel with Tiger Woods) and T-3 in 2001.

Jim Furyk

Jim Furyk won his Hawaii Double at the then-United Airlines Hawaiian Open (now Sony) in 1996 and the then-Mercedes Championships in 2001.

The Hawaiian Open win was the second of 17 career PGA Tour wins. He won the 2001 Mercedes by a shot over another former University of Arizona golfer, Rory Sabbatini.

Source link

Hawaii

State fines Hawaii American Water for unpermitted discharges | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Published

1 day ago

January 4, 2025

Press Room

State fines Hawaii American Water for unpermitted discharges | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

COURTESY DOH
Hawaii Department of Health logo.

Hawaii health officials today said they have fined Hawaii American Water $47,750 for discharging effluent exceeding permitted limits of ammonia nitrogen into the ocean.

The state Department of Health has issued a notice of violation and order to the private water company for 14 such discharges from its East Honolulu Wastewater Treatment Plant between August 2022 and 2024.

“Ammonia is derived from the breakdown of proteins and amino acids in wastewater,” said Kathleen Ho, deputy director for the Environmental Health Administration, in a news release. “High concentrations of ammonia can have toxic effects on aquatic organisms and contributes to excess nutrients in the water. As such, the discharge of ammonia above allowable limits into state waters is unacceptable.”

In addition to exceeding limits allowed under its state-issued National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, the Health Department said the company also failed to submit required noncompliance reports on two occasions.

In addition to paying the penalty, the notice requires Hawaii American Water to take corrective actions.

Honolulu-based Hawaii American Water owns and operates the East Honolulu Wastewater Treatment Plant, which serves about 35,000 people, according to the notice. The treated wastewater is released into the ocean via an outfall at Sandy Beach.

DOH said based on state laws, all persons, including business owners, government agencies and visitors must comply with water pollution laws, and that failure to comply may result in penalties of up to $60,000 a day, per violation.

The department said it charged the company for 10 days of exceeding the limits rather than 12 because two were less than 1% over the permitted limit.

Hawaii American Water may request a hearing within 20 days of receiving the notice.

Source link